SC271 Quantum Information—Technologies and Applications

Sunday, May 4, 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Prem Kumar¹, Paul Toliver²; ¹Northwestern Univ., USA, ²Telcordia Technologies, USA

Level: Advanced Beginner (basic understanding of topic is necessary to follow course material)

Course Description
This course will contrast quantum information with classical information and thus introduce the differences between quantum communications and classical communications. The concept of entanglement will be introduced and its essential role in quantum communications will be elucidated by examining the teleportation protocols that have been practically demonstrated. Facts will be delineated from fiction, as implied by the phrase “Beam me up Scotty” in the transporter of Star Trek.

The course will then describe the various technologies that are maturing rapidly for the practical realization of quantum communications. Techniques for generating and distributing entanglement in the near infrared part of the optical spectrum for free-space applications and in the 1500nm wavelength band for applications over the standard optical fiber will be described. Particular emphasis will be placed on the application of quantum communications to quantum cryptography, although a brief overview of the application to quantum computation will also be presented. In the context of quantum cryptography, the objective of key generation/distribution will be differentiated from that of direct data encryption at high speeds. Both single-photon based quantum key distribution approaches and high data-rate quantum data encryption techniques will be described. Recent progress in demonstrations of the various technologies in real-world scenarios, both fiber based and using free-space optical links, will be presented. The course will also examine commercial activity in quantum cryptography as well as the issues of compatibility with conventional optical networking technologies. It will conclude with an outlook on the possible adoption of the quantum technologies in future optical networks.

Benefits and Learning Objectives
This course should enable you to:

• Compare and contrast quantum communication versus classical communication.
• Understand the concept of entanglement and its role in quantum communication.
• Differentiate fact from fiction in the context of upcoming quantum technologies.
• Learn techniques for generating entanglement in the various optical bands.
• Get up-to-date on the upcoming practicality of quantum cryptography for free space, as well as fiber-based optical networks.
• Explore new applications of conventional technologies with knowledge of the current status of research and commercial activities in quantum technologies.

Intended Audience
The audience may include optical networking and optoelectronic technology researchers with an interest in quantum communications, as well as managers of research groups and engineers who want a glimpse into the new and forward looking technologies in the optical arena. An undergraduate-level understanding of quantum mechanics would be helpful.

Instructor Biographies
Prem Kumar is the AT&T Professor of Information Technology in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and director of the Center for Photonic Communication and Computing in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University. He also holds an appointment as professor of physics and astronomy in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University. He joined Northwestern in 1986 after spending five years at MIT as a research scientist. He received a doctorate in physics from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1980. He is the author or co-author of more than 400 publications, including one edited book, six patents, more than 140 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 40 articles in hard-bound volumes, and more than 80 invited conference papers. His research focuses on the development of novel fiber-optic devices for ultrahigh-speed optical and quantum communication networks. He is a fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA), the American Physical Society (APS), the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), and the Institute of Physics, UK (IoP). He is also a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Society of Photo Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). In 2006 he received the Martin E. and Gertrude G. Walder Research Excellence Award from Northwestern University, and in 2004 he was the recipient of the fifth International Quantum Communication Award established by the Tamagawa University in Tokyo. His services have included panel reviewer, National Science Foundation; associate editor, Optics Letters; member, OSA Publications Council; editorial board member, Journal of the European Optical Society B--Quantum and Semiclassical Optics; general (program) co-chair, QELS 2008 (2006); principal organizer, fourth International Conference on Quantum Communication, Measurement and Computing, Northwestern University, 1998; vice chairman, LEOS/IEEE Chicago Chapter, 1990/91. He is the founder of NuCrypt LLC, a startup company focusing on the commercialization of quantum encryption technology for securing the physical layer of fiber-optic and free-space optical networks. From 2002-2004 he was an advisory board member for Baird Venture Partners in Chicago, and during the 2000-03 period, he served as a scientific advisor to Santel Networks in Newark, Calif.

Paul Toliver is a senior research scientist at Telcordia Technologies. He holds a bachelor of science from the University of Wisconsin and a doctorate from Princeton University, both in electrical engineering. His research interests span a wide spectrum of optical network and system technologies including high-speed communications and modulation formats, optical signal processing, optical code division systems, quantum communications and security in optical networks. He is an active member of the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society, a member of the IEEE LEOS Conference program committee, as well as the Optical Fiber Communications program committee.